


Of Bridles and Brothers

by FalconFate



Category: The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Gen, Horsemanship, Murtagh being a good big bro without even knowing he's a big bro, Murtagh wants to be a riding instructor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:35:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22177906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FalconFate/pseuds/FalconFate
Summary: A question leads to unexpected bonding.
Relationships: Murtagh Morzansson & Eragon Shadeslayer
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	Of Bridles and Brothers

Murtagh waited to ask until they had been on the road for four days. He had wanted to ask as soon as they set out, of course, but he figured it might be a little insensitive so soon after the simple funeral. 

So he waited, until the fourth day when he glanced over at Eragon and saw him perched in Snowfire’s saddle, too-long stirrups creaking and his seat twisting every time he used his legs, knuckles turning white where they gripped the reins too tight and too low.

Before Murtagh could stop himself, he blurted, “Did Brom teach you to ride?”

Eragon, who normally instigated conversation but hadn’t actually spoken much all day, jumped slightly. Nonetheless, he answered, “Yes, he did.” A rueful smile ghosted his lips. “He did always promise to teach me the finer points when we reached someplace to really work on it.”

Murtagh hummed. “You haven’t changed Snowfire’s stirrups since you started riding him, right?”

Eragon frowned. “Why would I?”

“Do you feel yourself twisting and shoving at the saddle when you try to use your legs?” Murtagh asked, nodding at the stirrups. “Your stirrups are long, and you’re too busy trying to reach them.”

“Oh.”

“And I’m guessing, because of that, you feel insecure in your seat, so you’re gripping the reins.”

Slowly, Eragon nodded. “So… I should change my stirrups?” he asked slowly.

“Shorten them a bit,” Murtagh suggested. “Just a hole or two, you can do it while we walk.” 

About a minute later, Eragon straightened again the saddle. The change was immediate, Eragon’s posture nearly immaculate, and even Snowfire sighed in appreciation and stretched his neck low. 

Murtagh grinned. “See? Now you’re both happy.”

Eragon’s smile in return was the most genuine Murtagh had seen since Brom’s death. “Thanks,” he said earnestly. “Where did you learn to ride?”

“I grew up learning to ride,” Murtagh said carefully. He had no doubt that Eragon had guessed him at least as well-off as a merchant, if not a noble. “My swordmaster also taught me further, not only to ride in combat but how to train a horse. It’s how I got Tornac,” he said warmly, reaching forward to rub the gray’s mane fondly. “I’ve had him since he was a foal. It’s a bit like we’ve grown up together, these past few years.”

“He’s a fine beast,” Eragon said appreciatively. 

“The finest I’ve ever met,” Murtagh cooed proudly. They walked in silence for a while, two sets of hoofbeats keeping four-beat time on the dusty road. 

“For a long time, I wanted to be a riding instructor,” Murtagh finally admitted. 

“What stopped you?” Eragon asked.

Murtagh sighed. “Lots of things. For one, it’s rather difficult to run a riding school when you’re on the run,” he pointed out dryly.

Eragon huffed a laugh. “Well, I think you would have been the finest in the kingdom. You were able to help me, after all. You’d make anyone a horsemaster.”

“I only pointed out one flaw,” Murtagh pointed out. “It’s up to you to act on it.”

“ _One_ flaw?” Eragon asked, his expression suddenly alarmed. “Are there more?”

Murtagh eyed him for a moment, wondering if he was joking. “…possibly?” 

A shadow passed overhead; they looked up to see Saphira wheeling low over them. 

After a moment, Eragon’s eyes lit up. “Saphira thinks if you help me with my horsemanship, some of it might translate to communicating with _her_ in the saddle.”

“Huh.” Murtagh considered that, rubbing his thumb over the reins in thought. “There would be some differences,” he said slowly. “Several differences. Saphira doesn’t need reins, for one thing. But being able to communicate with your seat might not be such a bad idea.”

For the briefest of instances, a bright, brilliant smile flashed across Eragon’s face, before he dipped a short, awkward bow in the saddle. “I would be honored if you could teach me.”

Murtagh snorted. “Alright, first lesson: never do that again. Keep your posture straight; once you grow more confident in your seat, we can talk about leaning to one side or another, _safely_ , and without interfering with your horse’s motion.”

Eragon straightened again, and, at Murtagh’s direction, stretched taller through his torso and rolled his shoulders back, lifted his hands and softened his elbows, stretched long into his leg and wrapped them firmly around Snowfire’s barrel. When they picked up the pace to a trot, Murtagh explained the reason for why rising in the saddle was beneficial for the horse as well as the rider; when they stopped to make camp, Murtagh showed him a few different ways to dismount. 

Eragon never stopped asking questions, and there was a tight knot of pride and grief in Murtagh’s chest: pride in his own confidence at answering each question, and grief as he remembered asking the very same questions of Tornac. But when they fell into their bedrolls that night with the usual aches and sores, and Eragon with more saddlesores than he was used to, Murtagh was surprised to find himself… nearly content, for the first time in a very, very long while.

**Author's Note:**

> At some point, I'll have written a horsemanship fic or series for every single fandom I've ever been in, and then I can die happy.
> 
> I just feel like Murtagh would make such a good riding instructor, you know? He cares so much about his horse, and I can totally just imagine him training an entire generation of riders (or even an entire generation of Riders ;) if you know what I mean ;)) (@Paolini I want him to have family dangit let him reunite with his brother)
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment to tell me what you think! :D


End file.
